There exists a method of hierarchically configuring and integrally managing and controlling an infrastructure such as a network or server.
As a method of hierarchically arranging and integrally managing and controlling a network, a multi-layer MPLS (Multi-Protocol Label Switching) network is disclosed in Patent Document 1, for example. Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which respective external servers are provided for the hierarchical MPLS network, and band confirmation and path determination are performed for each external server (refer to paragraphs 0135 to 0138, and FIG. 32 of Patent Document 1).
Furthermore, it is also known that within the same device in the same layer, a certain device is managed as a cluster of objects hierarchically configured by links, switches, and the like. For example. Patent Document 2 discloses a method of providing hierarchical visualization in a virtual machine environment. The same document discloses a configuration including a second partition generated by a virtualized stack in a first partition maintained using a hypervisor, and a hypervisor microkernel that communicates directly with the first and second partitions.    [Patent Document 1]    Japanese Patent Kokai Publication No. JP-P2005-340937A    [Patent Document 2]    Japanese Paten Kohyo Publication No. JP-P2009-506462A    [Non-Patent Document 1]    Nick McKeown, and 7 others, “OpenFlow: Enabling Innovation in Campus Networks”, [online], [search conducted Jul. 17, 2009] Internet URL:http://www.openflowswitch.org//documents/openflow-wp-latest.pdf